Laminate structures for maintaining clear apertures

Abstract

A sensor (e.g., an optical sensor) is disposed in an enclosure that separates it from an external environment. The enclosure includes an aperture comprising a transparent material. A laminate comprising a plurality of transparent films is coupled to the aperture such that the sensor has a field of view of the external environment through the transparent material of the aperture and the plurality of transparent films. The laminate includes an exposed transparent film that is exposed to the external environment and that is removable to expose an underlying film in the laminate when dirt, debris, or other obscuring material has collected on it. A laminate module that includes the laminate, a laminate sensor, and a peeling mechanism may be removably mounted on the aperture. The laminate sensor can sense the number of transparent films remaining in the laminate. The peeling mechanism can peel away individual transparent films in the laminate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a sensor; 
 an enclosure that separates the sensor from an external environment, wherein the enclosure includes an aperture comprising a transparent material; 
 a laminate comprising a plurality of transparent films, wherein the laminate is coupled to the aperture such that the sensor has a field of view of the external environment through the transparent material of the aperture and the plurality of transparent films, wherein the plurality of transparent films includes an exposed transparent film that is exposed to the external environment, and wherein the exposed transparent film is removable to expose an underlying transparent film in the laminate; and 
 a laminate sensor configured to detect a number of transparent films remaining in the laminate. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a radar device. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect infrared light, and wherein the transparent material and the plurality of transparent films are transparent to infrared light. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a water-tight enclosure. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, further comprising a lens optically coupled to the optical sensor, wherein the optical sensor and the lens are disposed within the enclosure. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent films comprise a polymeric material or a ceramic material. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the transparent films has a thickness between 30 microns and 1 millimeter. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the transparent films has a respective hydrophobic or superhydrophobic coating. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the laminate is part of a module that is removably mounted to the aperture. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the module comprises the laminate sensor. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the module comprises a peeling mechanism configured to peel away individual transparent films from the laminate. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the peeling mechanism comprises a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator in the plurality of actuators is coupled to a corresponding transparent film in the plurality of transparent films and is configured to move in a path that peels away the corresponding transparent film in response to a signal. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising an electrical connection between the module and the aperture. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the electrical connection comprises a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the transparent material of the aperture and a plurality of electrical conductors extending from the module to the electrical contacts. 
     
     
       17. A system, comprising:
 a sensor; 
 a laminate comprising a plurality of transparent films, wherein the laminate is positioned such that the sensor has a field of view of an external environment through the plurality of transparent films, wherein the plurality of transparent films includes an exposed transparent film that is exposed to the external environment; 
 a laminate sensor configured to detect a number of transparent films remaining in the laminate; 
 a peeling mechanism configured to peel away individual transparent films from the laminate; and 
 a controller, wherein the controller is configured to cause the peeling mechanism to peel away the exposed transparent film in response to a predefined trigger, wherein the predefined trigger indicates a presence of obscuring material on the exposed transparent film. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a laminate module, wherein the laminate module comprises the laminate and the peeling mechanism and further comprises the laminate sensor; and 
 wherein the controller is further configured to provide an indication that the laminate module should be replaced in response to the number of transparent films remaining in the laminate reaching a predetermined number. 
 
     
     
       19. A method, comprising:
 sensing, by a controller, a laminate comprising a plurality of transparent films, wherein the laminate is positioned such that a sensor has a field of view of an external environment through the plurality of transparent films, and wherein the plurality of transparent films includes an exposed transparent film that is exposed to the external environment, and wherein the sensing comprises sensing a number of transparent films remaining in the laminate using a laminate sensor; 
 detecting, by the controller, a predefined trigger, wherein the predefined trigger indicates a presence of obscuring material on the exposed transparent film; and 
 in response to the predefined trigger, causing, by the controller, a peeling mechanism to peel away the exposed transparent film. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the laminate and peeling mechanism are in a laminate module, further comprising:
 providing, by the controller, an indication that the laminate module should be replaced in response to the number of transparent films remaining in the laminate reaching a predetermined number.